**Aloo Samosas: A Culinary Journey Through India's Beloved Snack**
Samosas, the iconic triangular pastries filled with a savory mixture of potatoes, peas, and spices, hold a special place in Indian cuisine. These deep-fried delights are a ubiquitous street food, a staple at gatherings, and a beloved snack enjoyed by people of all ages. Join us on a culinary journey as we explore the art of making aloo samosas, with two delectable recipes that cater to different taste preferences. One recipe stays true to the classic aloo samosa, bursting with the flavors of cumin, coriander, and turmeric, while the other tantalizes with a unique twist, incorporating a blend of aromatic spices and tangy tamarind chutney. Whether you're a seasoned samosa enthusiast or a newcomer to this culinary treasure, these recipes will guide you in creating perfect samosas that are crispy, flavorful, and utterly irresistible.
THE BEST SAMOSAS
As much as we love the filling in these samosas, we also must give a big shout-out to the dough. We tried a number of techniques to get that perfect light and crispy texture -- the hallmark of a classic aloo samosa. In the end, we found that a wet dough, when rested long enough to fully hydrate the flour, created steam during frying that yielded crispy, bubbled and puffy samosas.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 2h40m
Yield about 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- For the dough: Whisk together the flour, ajawain, if using, and the salt. Add the oil and, using your hands, rub it into the flour mixture until fully incorporated. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the water, until a shaggy dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Rub a little oil, about 1 teaspoon, over the dough, place on a plate and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- For the filling: Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold tap water by about 2 inches, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Using a fork, slightly smash the potatoes.
- Meanwhile, in a small food processor (mini-chopper), combine the onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, and 1 tablespoon water and puree to a paste.
- Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion paste, salt, garam masala and turmeric and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring and mashing lightly with a wooden spoon, until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons water.
- To form the samosas: Divide the dough into 10 portions. Using your hands, roll each portion into a small ball. On a floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 7-inch wide disc. Cut each disc in half.
- Set a small bowl of water beside you. Working with one dough semi-circle at a time, fold half of the straight edge up to the rounded side and wet its outside edge with a little water. Fold the other half up to form a cone, overlapping it with the other side by 1/4 inch. Press the edges together to form a seal. Hold the cone in one hand and fill it with about 1/4 cup of the potato filling. Slightly wet the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 20 samosas.
- In a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 2 inches. Place over medium heat, and heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 365 degrees F.
- Working in small batches, fry the samosas until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Serve immediately with tamarind sauce or your favorite chutney.
- For the ghee: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Skim off any of the white foam that comes to the surface with a spoon (being careful not to scoop up any yellow fat from the butter) and discard. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until all of the water has evaporated and the white milk solids have browned in the bottom of the saucepan, about 8 minutes.
- Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and pour the butter through into a container. Discard the browned milk solids in the sieve or reserve for another use. Use now or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Yield: about 2 cups
ALOO SAMOSAS (POTATO SAMOSAS)
Filled with a Punjabi-spiced potato and pea mixture, these samosas prioritize convenience without compromising flavors or textures. Use store-bought spring roll wrappers to make a big batch when you have time, then freeze the samosas to fry and serve as near-instant snacks for iftar, at parties or intimate gatherings with chai, or as low-fuss everyday cooking. With a crispy exterior and a filling citrusy with coriander and sweet from peas, these vegan samosas are perfect any time.
Provided by Zainab Shah
Categories finger foods, vegetables, side dish
Time 1h30m
Yield About 42 samosas
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by a few inches. Salt the water, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until a knife slides in with little to no resistance, about 20 minutes. Drain, then set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel and use a fork to smush them into a coarse mash.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium for a minute. Add the cumin and coriander seeds, and stir until the seeds are fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the ground chile and turmeric, and the coriander and cumin powders, if using. Continue cooking, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, peas, garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring to evenly mix the ingredients, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh chiles and cilantro. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, prepare to assemble the samosas: Line a sheet pan with wax paper or plastic wrap. Stack the spring roll wrappers and cut evenly in thirds to create 42 rectangles, 8 inches long by 2 2/3-inches wide. If your wrappers are not 8 inches square, aim to cut 42 rectangular shapes in a 3-to-1 ratio. Place a damp clean cloth over your pastry sheets to prevent them from drying out. Place the flour in a small bowl and add enough water (about 3 tablespoons) to make a smooth paste the consistency of craft glue.
- Take a pastry rectangle and place it with the long side facing you on a flat work surface. Replace the damp cloth over the remaining pastry sheets to keep them from drying out. Take the bottom-right corner of the rectangle and fold it over the top, with the short side extending 1 to 2 inches past the top. The overlapping pastry at the bottom right of the sheet will form an equilateral triangle with sides that are about 3 inches long. This triangle will be the final shape and size of the samosa. Fold the triangle so its right outer edge is aligned with the horizontal bottom edge of the sheet. There should now be a triangular pocket with two flaps sticking out to the left. Pick up the pocket so it is open and upright like a cone. Fill the cone with 2 teaspoons of the filling. Using the back of a small spoon, spread the flour paste in a thin layer over the remaining strip of pastry. Fold it over the stuffed triangle to seal the samosa. If the corners of the samosa have any gaps, fill them with the flour paste and pinch them to seal. Repeat with the remaining filling and rectangles (you may have leftover wrappers) and lay on the lined sheet pan, spacing apart. They can be fried or baked right away, or frozen on the pan until firm, then sealed in an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months before frying and go straight into the hot oil from the freezer.
- To fry the samosas, fill a frying pan with oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium-high until it ripples. Add enough samosas to fit without overlapping and shallow-fry until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes per side (longer, if frying directly from the freezer). Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with a paper towel to prevent them from getting soggy. Repeat with the remaining samosas, replenishing and reheating the oil between batches.
- To bake the samosas, heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 1-inch-deep sheet pan with foil and add a thin layer of oil to the pan (about 1/4 inch). Coat the samosas with the oil in the sheet pan and arrange them on the pan in a single layer in rows. Bake, turning once halfway through, until evenly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with a paper towel to prevent them from getting soggy.
- Serve hot or warm with the mint chutney for dipping.
Tips:
- For the perfect samosa dough, use a mix of all-purpose flour and semolina flour. This will give the dough a crispy and flaky texture.
- Make sure the samosa filling is well-seasoned. Use a variety of spices, such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, to create a flavorful filling.
- Don't overfill the samosas. This will prevent them from sealing properly and could cause them to burst during frying.
- Use a deep fryer or a large saucepan to fry the samosas. Make sure the oil is hot enough so that the samosas fry quickly and evenly.
- Serve the samosas hot with your favorite chutney or dipping sauce.
Conclusion:
Aloo samosas are a delicious and versatile snack or appetizer that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are easy to make and can be customized to your own taste preferences. Whether you like them spicy or mild, vegetarian or meat-filled, there is sure to be an aloo samosa recipe that you will love. So next time you are looking for a tasty snack, give aloo samosas a try!
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